Car-coupling.



No. 655,229. l l Patented Aug. 7, |900.

D. HAWKINS.

GAB COUPLING.

(Applistion led Apr. 11, 1699.)

(No Model.)

Nrran STATES ATENT eric,

DAVID HAwKINs, or BERTRAM, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters :Patent- NO. 655,229, dated. August '7, 1900. Application filed April Il. 1899`.- Serial No. 712,619. (No model.)

provements in Car-Couplers; and I doherebyl declare the following to be a full, clear, and

eXact description oftheinvention, such asV will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplers; and it consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my complete invention, showing the parts coupled and with a portion of one of the draw-heads in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same with one of the draw-heads in section, showing the location and arrangement of the ends of the links within the drawheads; and Fig. 3 is a det-ail front elevation of the coupling-pin which I employ in carrying out my invention.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple, practical, and durable car-coupler and, further, one that will automatically couple the cars notwithstanding ,the variation of,

the heights of the same; and it consists of the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described in detail.

Referring to the drawings, 1 1 represent the draw-heads, which are similarly constructed and attached to a car in the well-known manner. The draw-heads and parts accompanying the same are constructed alike, and consequently I shall only proceed to describe one of the same.

Formed in one side of the draw-head 1 is a cavity 2, opening from the front of the said draw-head, within which is located one end of a link 3, having a solid portion 4, to which is pivotally secured a chain 6, loosely passing through an opening 7 formed in Athe drawhead, the said chain extending downwardly a suliicient distance and having at its lower end a disk or washer S, and encircling said chain and interposed between the disk and the lower surface of the draw-head 1 is a spiral spring 9, which operates to hold the free end of the link 3 in'a substantially-horizontal position and, further,to allow the said link to yield sufficiently upwardly and downwardly after the cars have been coupled or in coupling the saine; Passingthrou gh the draw-head 1 and the cavity portion 2 thereof is a pin 10, which passes' through the link 3 and operates'to'rigidly secure Vthe said link to the draw-head or prevent the same from being withdrawn therefrom. Formed in the opposite side of the draw-head Ais a second and deeper cavity v11, which also opens from the front of said draw-head,the upper and lower walls of which are provided with alining elongated slots 12 for the reception of the pivotally-mounted gravity-operating coupling-pin 13,whereloy the latter is free to swing in the line of the slot when struck by the free end of the link 3 of the opposite coupler, in which operation the lower end of the pin 13 will be swung rearwardly and raised sufficiently above the bottom of the cavity 1l to allow the same to drop through the Alink and between thelongitudinal walls of the lower slot 12, and thereby couple the draw-headst Secured to the upper surface of the drawhead and projecting upwardly therefrom over V,the forward end of the slot 12, formed in the upper surface of said draw-head, is a standard-14, which .is formed by the employment of two U -shaped rods, the lower ends of which are secured to the draw-head, said rods being separated a suitable distance apart to form a vertical guide 15, which loosely receives the opposite ends of the cross-pin 16 of the coupling-pin 13,-whereby the latter is not only pivoted or hinged to the draw-head, but is guided in a vertical direction within the drawhead. When it is desired to release the link '3, the said coupling-pin is elevated by a ropeor chain 17, the lower end of which is attached to the upper end of said coupling-pin. One of the U-shaped bars which form thestandardA la is provided with a terminal centrallyarranged coil 18, through ,which the chain 17 passes, said coil being disposed substantially in a horizontal plane, and the upper or medial portion of the other U -shaped bar'which forms the standard let is also bent in a substantiallyhorizontal position, whereby a stop is formed for theupward movement of the coupling-pin 13, and, further, forming a guide for holding the chain 17 in its proper position for elevating the said `coupling-pin.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim sl. A car-coupler, comprising a draw-head havinga cavity formed on one side of the same, a link located within thevsaid-cavity, and having a solid portion, a pin passing through the vdraw-head, and through said link, a chainfhaving its upper end attached to the solid portion of said link, and passing through an opening formed in the drawhead,l

a washer Xed to the lower end of said chain, a coiled' spring ,encircling said chain, and interposed between the lower surface of the draw-head and Washer, the opposite side of said coupler also being providedwith alining slots, a standard forming a guide secured to the upper surface of the draw-head abovethe forward end of the slot formed inthe upper wall thereof, a coupling-pin passing through said slots, a cross-pin secured to the said coupling-pin, the opposite ends of which are received by said guide, and a chain or rope atf p,

tached to the upper end of said coupling-pin,

for elevating the latter, as and for the purpose described.

2. A car-coupler, comprising a suitable draw-head, a link yieldingly secured at one side of the same, a cavity formed in the opposite vside of said draw-head, and having alni'ng slots formed in the upper and lower walls thereof, a guide secured to the upper surface of the draw-head, and composed of two U-shaped bars separated a suitable disv tance apart, a coil formed in the upper or medial portion of one of said bars, and arrangedv ina substantially-horizontal position, the upper medial portion of the other bar being also 'bent in a substantially-horizontal position, a coupling-pin normally located within the slots yformed in the draw-head, a cross-pin carried by the said coupling-pin, the free ends of which are normally located between the bars which form the guide, and a rope or chain attached to the upper end of the coupling-pin, and passing through the coil formed in one of said bars, as and for the purpose described.

` DAVID HAWKlNS.

' l Witnesses:

` JOHN'DEE RAMSEY,

AARoN'JEFFERsoN Roo'r. 

